These past weeks I've watched Joe Addabbo run an honorable race based on seven years of solid achievement in the NYC Council. He's been both in the community and at many district doorsteps working to earn our trust. No amount of money or political mud slinging can change the fact that Joe Addabbo has proven himself to be a true public servant who fights for his middle class community.

I wish I could say the same of the incumbent Maltese, but instead all I've seen is a disgusting attempt to hide behind negative attack ads and rubber stamp endorsements rendering a real campaign about the issues meaningless.

I have received many high-gloss mailers from his senate office, his campaign, the republican state senate campaign and by anonymous senders - each advertisement slimier and worse than the one before. To add insult to injury, Maltese seems to think that by cozying up to the Mayor, voters will be stupid enough not to see him for the proud little lapdog he is.

For the record, this past spring Mayor Bloomberg donated $500,000 to the Republican Senate campaign committee, giving them at least $1,175,000 between October 2006 and the present election cycle, according to campaign finance disclosure reports.

As Bloomberg attempts to overturn term limits (for a possible run at an illegal third mayoral term) which clearly violates the will of the people twice expressed at the ballot box and he tries to prevent the important issue of mayoral control of our public schools from sun-setting next year, we should all be reminded that Mayor Mike is no stranger to self-interest, nor self-promotion.

In Maltese and in a Republican NYS Senate, the Mayor has a yes man who'll support the status quo, and stay silent when it's time to stand up and be counted for the working-class Queens voters of the 15th senate district. Joe Addabbo took a hard line against the Mayor's congestion pricing plan and voted "no" to another tax on the middle class. Meanwhile, Maltese was mealy mouthed on the issue as his fellow Republicans lined up behind their personal piggybank.

The bottom line is that Maltese is in the Mayor's pocket and doesn't want to bite the hand that feeds him. Don't be fooled, this isn't an endorsement by the Mayor: it's a deposit.